Nikholas Parker

Certified Personal Trainer

Nikholas is an Ace Certified Personal Trainer based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Nikholas received his BS in Economics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW-Madison) in 2021. He found his way into personal training through his lifelong passion for athletics. In 2017, Nikholas had multiple athletic offers across collegiate divisions for basketball but ultimately accepted UW-Madison’s track and field program offer, as it was the best athletic and academic opportunity afforded to him. 

Nikholas’ time on the team left a lasting impact - despite his early departure. As a young immature 18/19 year old in college, he found himself cut by the team when he found himself prioritizing getting drunk four times a week instead of sleeping, being a D-1 athlete, or school (though he still did alright – he’s no fool). Nikholas even considers being cut a blessing in disguise. It served as a reality check, as his heart (and liver) clearly were not in the right place to sprint in college. Even though his track and field tenure did not go as planned, five years later, Nikholas is confident he could still bust your ass in just about any race. You name it!  

During his senior year of college, Nikholas found a renewed passion for athletic development - this time outside a competitive landscape. Having had the privilege to have been a part of such a prestigious program, Nikholas was able to see firsthand how the top runners trained week to week in order to perform their best on the field. A valuable experience he now lends to his personal training.

In his free time, Nikholas enjoys playing just about any sport, cooking, reading, hanging out with his friends, and watching sports.

  • Nikholas understands firsthand that injuries can take a toll on both physical and mental. After dealing with numerous injuries from ages 12-22 – including a lower back fracture, multiple meniscus tears, and 2 PCL tears, Nikholas quickly learned that to be at his happiest and healthiest, he had to start prioritizing injury reduction.

    Through research, Nikholas began adopting a more injury-preventative (pre-hab) training style inspired by the “knees over toes guy” Ben Patrick into his own workout routine. This switch truly impacted his life for the better.

    Nikholas has since adopted this pre-hab training style with his clients to help them pursue their fitness goals, making sure they are improving on their ability to become more athletic, less injury prone or, just simply, move better.

  • Whether you’re looking to cut down your marathon time, jump higher, row faster, lose weight, or simply improve your strength, Nikholas will get you there.

    Each training session with Nikholas is tailored to your individual needs and interests. Before your first session, you’ll meet to discuss fitness goals along with any questions or concerns you may have. Next, Nikholas will work with you to evaluate baseline strength, agility, and cardiovascular abilities. From there on, you’ll receive personalized workouts tailored to your goals thereon.

    Along with helping people improve physically, Nikholas also takes pride in making sure his clients are doing well mentally. As a personal trainer, Nikholas understands that working out can be a great distraction from the madness of the day-to-day. Don’t be surprised if he checks in with you after a session to see how you’re feeling on your health journey.

  • Nikholas also has a passion for cooking. He has spent countless hours in the kitchen experimenting with complex and simple meals alike. Nikholas enjoys sharing the go-to meals that have helped him maintain his health and fitness goals with his clients. Check out his recipes here.